Aden Cassidy

Can't do that here in Australia, most of our axes need to have a thickish edge cause of how hard and knotted a lot of our woods are. Just try cutting a gum(eucalyptus) log and getting some to split is a slight tap while you really need to wallop others from the same tree. Then you have the knots etc... Others will also just go less than 25mm into the log even while trying to follow the grain, only thing to use then is a chainsaw.

ahhh, my neck of the woods. Where about is Aus did you send it Stormcrow. Also you might like a few things on Australian blade forums, have some ABS JS's here now among them. Few of the blokes are on here as well. Some of the work and inspirations on there is awesome. engravers, jewellers/knifemakers, sheathmakers to name a few of the craftsmen on there. 

Have a look at gameco they are bringing wilmont grinders into aus at the moment. Then there is also the radius master which is designed and built right here in Aus. There is a few attachments for both of these machines but those get quite pricey from what I have seen.

If you use stainless I am pretty sure it must be heat treated to spring but I think I heard that doesn't need to be done with titanium.

Don't quote me on this it is just something I have heard.

Just chuck it back in the oven at tempering temp, then get a little piece of leaf spring etc... with a slight curve. I have one roughly 300mm long for this, you then use a metal clamp and make it straight or just slightly bent the other way and put it back in the oven leaving it for 30min then let it cool slowly. This is what I did with a warped cooking knife recently.

You do it before you harden as it marks the line between the harder edge and softer spine where the satanite/clay was. And yes polishing the blade till it shines then a slight etch to bring it out is what works best.

Looks nice, I have tried composite handles lately and they can be annoying. But this one looks fantastic.

How did you get enough stock to forge this out of coil spring? whats the actual size of the axe when finished.

WOWZER, look at those horns!!!! Really nice table by the way as well.

I have seen similar ones we have in my blacksmithing group that held a pick head. Also ones made like that are good for holding bits of flat bar as well for knife making. That's what I am buying a smaller pair for anyway.

Small primitive style knife for a blokes black powder kit. Weighed less than 100 grams.

Nice score tim, looks like the same photos you had on ABF. But a totally square forge, haven't seen one before. Only seen rectangular upside down pyramid style or round for solid fuel till now.

Hey Chris, love the axes and especially the engraving.

By the way in your location by Down Under do you mean here in Aus?

If so do you post on any ozzi sites as well.

I generally use a small sledge hammer, I think it was originally a plumbers hammer that I bout for $25-30 here in aus at bunnings years ago. Started forging when I was about 13-14 and now am turning 21 soon. I started off with a smallish ball pain, less than 2 pounds. Then after a few months of the basic leaves etc... I bought this 4 pound sledge and use it for almost everything, after you find the size and shape of hammer you like don't just switch to it right away. It takes a while till you can use a significantly heavier hammer all day long just by itself, pace yourself and switch between them. Hell I even use this when my blades are forged to size and to refine the bevels and straighten the blade. I can basically finish a blade in less than five hours from a piece of coil spring, use a file for about 10 minutes then sandpaper to polish etc,.. using this hammer and one pair of tongs.

Looks like an absolute ripper mate, should be proud of yourself for that bit of work.

Nice, it looks kind of celtic but I would love to be able to do this kind of stuff one day.

okay, to harden it you have to heat it till non magnetic, let it cool slowly in a banked fire full of ash and coals. Heat till non magnetic again then since it is a file quickly quench in warm oil(canola or olive), congrats it is now hardened and you have also re-leaved the stress from grinding it.

AFTER this you put it in the oven at 400 for at least on cycle of an hour, I do it twice.

Only then will it hold a decent edge by being hardened and tempered properly.

I'll get a pic tomorrow after work of a knife guard I made when just leaning forging techniques and fitting steel together, first and only time I have done it though.

About 2.2 pounds to the kilo if I Remember, so it would be around at least 120-140 pounds.

Sorry but haven't done the conversions much since I stopped doing archery 5 years ago.

I really have to show a smith at my local club some pics of your work, he does similar stuff but not as detailed.

The one I remember best is a frog, the back was lengths of chain from a bike or motor. The mouth was those spade like bits from a plow?, can't remember what the feet were though the eyes were a pair of nuts off of bolts.

Coking ovens of course, the coal goes in and later the coke comes out after being well cooked.

I have a friend that is turning 19 soon. I have some small pieces of cable I forge welded for practice from the main piece that are too small for much of anything.

Anyway what does everyone think would be better to give as a present to her, I have to finish in 9 days though. I meant to get some more gas but have not yet gotten around to it.

It will be either a ring or pendant for a necklace. It is not stainless unfortunately.

Forging to thin blades is a headache. I have recently got to the point where I can forge a blade from coil spring into a 1.5-2mm thick blade, then a little grinding. That is the easy part, the hard part is making sure it doesn't warp much when hardening. BUT I have worked hard just like others here to get my forging to the level where I hardly need to do any grinding or sanding if I don't want to, just using a 4 pound hammer and old anvil I can get within about a 1mm of desired thickness and need minimal finishing touches to the blade.

I remember making some of the leaves while I was in High School for this, we only used copper and stainless but we all liked the copper better. I was still learning at the time but it was a great thing to get behind at my local club.

I recently found some old steel cable at work. It is roughly and inch thick, can't my measurement tools sorry. Just wondering if I need to do anything to clean the thick rust off before welding in my gas forge.

Some parts of the cable are REALLY rusted, like parts gone. Not too many but a bit.

So any help would be much appreciated, haven't done much forge welding at all. This will be my first major try.

I already have some borax ready to go as well.

Just really want to do a Damascus blade for once.

That second one has a really nice and interesting pattern.